Editing King Dedede

{{Featured}}{{Special icon|This was the first article on WiKirby to receive a Good badge.}}{{Infobox-Character
|image=[[File:KRtDLD King Dedede.png|350px]]
|caption=Artwork of '''King Dedede''' from ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''.
|game=[[#Game appearances|(click to navigate)]]
|game1=''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' (1992)
|lastgame=''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' (2023)
|similar=[[#Variants|(click to navigate)]]
|voice=[[Shinya Kumazaki]] <small>([[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]], since ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'')</small><br>
[[Masahiro Sakurai]] <small>(''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'' and the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]])</small>
|theme music=[[File:King Dedede's Theme KDL3.mp3]]
|theme title="[[King Dedede's Theme]]"
|description=Clip of "King Dedede's Theme" from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
|other wikis=[[smashwiki:King Dedede|SmashWiki]]<br>[[mariowiki:King Dedede|Super Mario Wiki]]
}}
{{title font|#FFE2AC|#EE1818}}
{{redirect|DDD|the [[Sub-Game]]|[[Dedede's Drum Dash]]|other uses of "DDD"|[[DDD (disambiguation)]]}}
{{quote|I'll be the one to keep the peace!|'''King Dedede''', ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''}}
<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|}}}|lead|
'''King Dedede''' ('''King DeDeDe''' in some older games; sometimes shortened to '''Dedede''') is a portly, blue, penguin-like creature who wields a hammer and proclaims himself king of [[Dream Land]]. He is a recurring character who serves as [[Kirby]]'s "arch frenemy"{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|King Dedede|<ref>{{Cite|Every hero needs an arch frenemy, and King Dedede is Kirby's! The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, King Dedede just loves stirring up trouble. His other hobbies include yelling orders at his loyal Waddle Dees and bashing things with his huge hammer.|[https://play.nintendo.com/themes/friends/king-dedede/ Play Nintendo]}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20230819205759/https://play.nintendo.com/themes/friends/king-dedede// archive])</ref>}} and is usually fought as a [[boss]]. Though he often engages in trouble-making, mostly involving stealing other people's food, he has performed noble deeds as well, such as trying to seal away [[Nightmare]], helping Kirby battle [[Queen Sectonia]], and accompanying Kirby in several of his adventures. Because of this, he is considered a protagonist, despite his greediness and egotism. King Dedede lives in [[Castle Dedede|a castle atop a mountain]] with a retinue of [[Waddle Dee]]s acting as his servants.

Having debuted in the series' first installment, ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', King Dedede is arguably the most recognizable character from the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]] behind the pink hero himself, having appeared in one form or another nearly every game in the series (except ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' and ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]''), and he even stars in his own side game, ''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]'', though not all of those appearances are major roles. He is often portrayed as a comic foil to Kirby, especially in spin-off titles, which makes him comparable to [[mariowiki:Bowser|Bowser]] from the [[mariowiki:Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]], though King Dedede is not nearly as villainous. In older games, he was seldom playable, but this changed starting with ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', with the king being playable in many of his subsequent appearances.
}}</onlyinclude>{{:{{ROOTPAGENAME}}|transcludesection=lead}}
==Physical appearance==
{{multiple image
|align=right
|width=125
|direction=horizontal
|footer=On the left, his classic appearance, used until ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''. In the middle, his appearance used only in  ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''. On the right, his appearance used until ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''.
|image1=KDL King Dedede artwork.png
|image2=K64 King Dedede Artwork 3.png
|image3=KSA King Dedede Artwork.png
}}
King Dedede is a birdlike creature who greatly resembles a penguin, although his exact species is unclear; [[smashwiki:Solid Snake|Snake]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' assumes that Dedede is a penguin, and becomes confused upon learning that he is not. On one occasion, the ''Nintendo Power'' magazine has referred to him as a "regal eagle", though it is unclear if this is meant to be taken literally.<ref>{{quote|The king isn't the friendliest bird on Pop Star, but if Kirby can rid Dedede's kingdom of Dark Matter, the regal eagle will become a valuable ally and the newest member of Kirby's ragtag band of shard collectors.|[https://web.archive.org/web/20210410061607/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dv3MflbX4AAQWf2.jpg ''Nintendo Power'', Vol. 134]}}</ref> He has a large, round belly, blue eyes, a yellow beak, and yellow feet which resemble [[Kirby]]'s. He wears a kingly red coat with white trim and a red tuque with a golden crown-like ridge. The coat's back bears his signature V-sign emblem (or in earlier appearances, a portrait of himself). In most appearances, he also wears yellow gloves on his hands, and a beige undershirt under his coat; occasionally, it is designed as an elaborate ''[[wikipedia:kimono|kimono]]'' instead. Around his belly is an ''[[wikipedia:obi (sash)|obi]]'' (patterned belt) with a tessellated red-and-yellow design on it, somewhat resembling pointed teeth. When he is possessed by [[Dark Matter]] in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' and ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', this obi will open up like a big mouth to chomp at Kirby or fire projectiles.

King Dedede, like Kirby, can [[inhale]] and [[hover]] by expanding his belly. According to his trophy in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', King Dedede could not hover initially but taught himself how after being [[Kirby's Dream Land|beaten by Kirby for the first time]]. However, King Dedede is not able to [[Copy Ability|copy abilities]] like his pink rival (according to flavor text in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', this is because he's "already perfect"). To make up for this, he carries a large wooden mallet, which he uses for most of his attacks. When that is not enough, the king can use his portly size to perform [[Super Dedede Jump|great leaps]] and [[Head Slide|body slams]].

===Changes in design===
In each game, the specifics of the king's design may differ, but his portly figure, regal hat and robe, and his large wooden mallet are all characteristically "Dedede". While the most basic aspects of King Dedede are more or less consistent throughout the series, his design tends to change notably with each game, as his body proportions and the particulars of his wardrobe are given tweaks and adjustments more so than many other characters. This is most notable when comparing his portrayal in games such as ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' versus ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', or his appearance in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' versus ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. In the June 2022 edition of Nintendo Dream Magazine, in the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' developer interview, [[Shinya Kumazaki]] explained that the reason for this was because it was King Dedede's "destiny" since he has more details than Kirby, and with each new game, he is designed to "...bring out the worldview of that particular work".<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2022/07/31/translation-of-the-kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-interview-from-the-june-2022-edition-of-nintendo-dream/ Gigi's translation of the interview from the June 2022 edition of Nintendo Dream]</ref> Despite this statement, King Dedede has been known to receive substantial design changes in remakes of games compared to his look in the originals, with ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' being the most prominent example.

==Personality==
[[File:KSS DededeKirbyRivalry.png|thumb|Dedede pinches Kirby's face when Kirby loses the Gourmet Race.]]
King Dedede is often portrayed as egocentric, stubborn, and also gluttonous. This is evidenced by his self-proclaimed status as the King of Dream Land, and how he selfishly stole all of the food in Dream Land in the past. He also views Kirby as his rival, and often competes against him to prove his superiority. However, he is not evil. Over time, his selfish tendencies have faded away, and he has been portrayed and described as a heroic and dependable leader who is willing to protect Dream Land from outside threats, such as [[Nightmare]] and [[Queen Sectonia]]. He is also willing to accompany Kirby on his quests, such as in ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'' (where he is "worried" about safety of others going on such a dangerous trip, according to the Japanese website), and in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', where he eagerly joins Kirby, [[Bandana Waddle Dee]] and [[Meta Knight]] in order to collect pieces of the [[Lor Starcutter]] for [[Magolor]] (''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' implies that, like in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'', he worries that the others "won't get far without [him]").

While King Dedede considered Kirby one of his enemies in the past, he resolved his grudge with Kirby in [[Revenge of the King]], a sub-game added in ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''. After that, their relationship became much friendlier, and he became one of Kirby's close companions. Dedede views Kirby as his "destined rival," as the games phrase it since ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', and the two are often described as "buddies" or "friendly rivals". Their bond has grown to the point that when King Dedede arrived in the [[new world]] in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', he was "crestfallen" that he couldn't find Kirby, and is genuinely happy to see him once he breaks free from the Beast Pack's brainwashing.

Ultimately, despite his rocky past, Dedede grew to understand that Kirby is the true savior of Dream Land, and does not hesitate to assist him during times of peril. He is also very caring and protective of the Waddle Dees who serve him. For example, he spares Bandana Waddle Dee from fighting Kirby in Revenge of the King, and risks his own life for the safety of [[Minion Waddle Dee|a single Waddle Dee]] in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''.

Dedede's personality in the anime, ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', is significantly different from his contemporary portrayal within the games. In the series, his bloated ego and regal persona often shines, along with his jealousy of Kirby's power and popularity. This personality carries over to ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]'', which plays out very similarly to an episode from the anime: King Dedede hatches a ludicrously complicated (and expensive) plot to lure Kirby into a public spotlight and try to humiliate the pink puffball in a series of games, only to have it backfire in his face, resulting in Kirby coming out on top once again. 

{{clear}}

==Signature attacks==
Due to being a boss in so many ''Kirby'' games, King Dedede has a large number of signature attacks which he uses in most of his fights, and in some games can be used when he is playable. The following table lists all of his most notable attacks, in alphabetical order:

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
!colspan=4|King Dedede's signature attacks &nbsp;
|-
!Name
!First game used
!Description
!Notes
|-
|[[Gordo]] Throw
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (first appearance), ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' (first use in a ''Kirby'' game, by [[Parallel Dedede]]), ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'' (first use by Dedede himself in a ''Kirby'' game)
|King Dedede pulls out a [[Gordo]] and knocks it forward using his hammer, causing it to bounce across the stage.
|This move is the only recurring attack of Dedede's that first appeared outside the ''Kirby'' series proper.
|-
|Hammer
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|King Dedede swings his hammer, usually in an overhead manner, which causes [[Dropped Star]]s to form around the point of impact.
|There are several different varieties to this attack.
|-
|[[Head Slide]]
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|King Dedede jumps head-first at his opponent, crashing to the ground. Depending on the game, this either looks like a disheveled belly flop, or a purposeful dive. It only sometimes drops Dropped Stars.
|
|-
|[[Hover]]
|''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
|King Dedede can take in air and puff up like a balloon, then fly through the air to chase after his enemies. He can also shoot out a large [[Air Bullet]] when he is done.
|
|-
|[[Inhale]]
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|King Dedede uses his own inhale, which has a longer range and is more powerful than Kirby's, but cannot copy abilities. If King Dedede inhales his foe, he will spit that foe back out as a [[Star Bullet]] to damage them. In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'', his inhale might sometimes let him spit out an explosive Star Bullet without having sucked anything up beforehand.
|
|-
|[[Super Dedede Jump]]
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|King Dedede leaps high into the air and comes crashing back down, creating two Dropped Stars on each side of him. 
|Depending on the game, this move may also create shockwaves.
|}

==Variants==
Due to King Dedede's ubiquity as a character, there are several other entities that resemble him, as well as alternate versions of the King himself. The following lists all of the different versions of King Dedede along with other characters or entities that resemble him throughout the ''Kirby'' video game series:

===Dedede alter egos and lookalikes===
*'''[[Masked Dedede]]''': King Dedede wears a special mask when he is serious about fighting, and also carries a special mechanical hammer. This version of Dedede first appeared in ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.
*'''[[Shadow Dedede]]''': A dark version of King Dedede that emerged from the [[Dimension Mirror]] in ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''.
*'''[[Team DDD]]''': An army of smaller Dededes who accompany the King in ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]''.
*'''[[Dedede Clone]]''': A gelatinous replica of King Dedede fabricated by the [[Haltmann Works Company]] using Dedede's DNA to battle Kirby in ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''.
*'''[[King D-Mind]]''': The king of darkness resembling both King Dedede and [[Dark Mind]] which hails from [[Another Dimension]] beyond the [[Black Mirror]], first appearing in ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]''.
*'''Giant King Dedede''': King Dedede becomes giant after absorbing a [[Sparkling Star]] in ''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''.
*'''[[Parallel Dedede]]''': A different more powerful version of King Dedede who hails from Another Dimension, first encountered in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''.
*'''[[Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight|Waning Crescent Masked Dedede]]''': King Dedede puts on a cursed relic called the Mask of Dark Bonds along with Meta Knight in the final boss encounter in the [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals|story mode]] of ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''.
*'''[[Forgo Dedede]]''': Another variant of Masked Dedede who wields two hammers and can produce fiery projectiles, encountered in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.
**'''[[Phantom Forgo Dedede]]''': An illusory double of Forgo Dedede who is more powerful.
*'''[[Phantom King Dedede]]''': An illusion of the king formed from powerful psychic energy and memories of his turn under [[Fecto Forgo]]'s control in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.
===Robots===
The ''Kirby'' series' fascination with King Dedede's visage as a giant robot has wrought several iterations of [[Kirby]]-squashing mecha, with varying relations to the king himself:

*'''[[Robo Dedede]]''': This giant robot made to resemble King Dedede appears as the boss of ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''. Another robotic Dedede appears in [[Scope Shot]], from ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''.
*'''[[Dedede Robo]]''': A giant robot in ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' that somewhat resembles Dedede and bears its emblem.
*'''[[HR-D3]]''': A similar-looking giant robot used by [[Metal General|Metal General EX]] in the [[Extra Mode]] of ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''.
*'''[[Dededestroyer Z]]''': A robot that King Dedede pilots in ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]'' with the ability to [[Kirby Printer|make clones of Kirby]].

{{clear}}

==Game appearances==
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=3|King Dedede's video game appearances &nbsp;
|-
!Game
!Role
!Notes
|-
!colspan=3|''Kirby'' series
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
| Central antagonist and boss
| Antagonizes Kirby for most of the game but assists him in defeating the true [[Nightmare|final boss]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
| This is Dedede's first speaking role in the series.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''
| Secondary antagonist and boss
| Possessed by [[Dark Matter]] in this game.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''
| Secondary antagonist and boss
| Main antagonist and final boss of [[Spring Breeze]], main antagonist of [[Gourmet Race]], and an opponent in [[Samurai Kirby]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)|Kirby's Star Stacker]]''
| Antagonist
| Randomly appears to drop more blocks.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
| Central antagonist and boss
| Like in ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'', Dedede is possessed by Dark Matter.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|Kirby's Super Star Stacker]]''
| Main antagonist and boss
| While the main villain in the story, Dedede is not the final boss, as [[Gryll]] can be fought in a surprise encounter if certain conditions are met.
|-
| ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
| Supporting protagonist, playable character, and boss
| Initially possessed by Dark Matter, but joins Kirby's side when defeated.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
| Central antagonist and boss
| As this is a remake of ''Kirby's Adventure'', he has the same role here as he did in that game. Dedede is also the final boss of [[Meta Knightmare]], as Nightmare is never fought.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''
| Playable character
| Also appears as the antagonist in the [[Stadium]] mode [[Vs. King Dedede]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''
| Playable character and boss
| Dedede is in ball form when playable, but in normal form when faced in [[Cart Run]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''
| Opening antagonist and boss
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''
| Secondary antagonist and boss
| As this game is a remake of ''Kirby Super Star'', his roles from that game are reused. In addition, he serves as the main antagonist and final boss of [[Revenge of the King]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]''
| Secondary antagonist and boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
| Secondary antagonist and boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
| Supporting protagonist and playable character
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition|Kirby's Dream Collection]]''
| Roles vary between games
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
| Supporting protagonist, playable character, and boss
| Controlled by [[Taranza]] near the end of the game. Additionally, Dedede is playable in [[Dededetour!]].
|-
| ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
|
|-
| ''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]''
| Sole playable character
| 
|-
| ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''
| Cameo
| Appears as a collectible [[figurine]] and in one of the [[Secret Diary]] pages.
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''
| Cameo
| Appears in the intro cutscene. Additionally, [[Dedede Clone]] bears Dedede's likeness.
|-
| ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]''
| Reference
| [[King D-Mind]] bears Dedede's likeness.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''
| Main antagonist and final boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''
| Main antagonist, playable character, and final boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''
| Supporting protagonist, playable character, and boss
| Initially controlled by the [[Jamba Heart]], but joins Kirby's side as a [[Dream Friend]] once defeated.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]''
| Supporting antagonist, boss, and playable character
| As this is a port of ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'', his role from that game is reused. Additionally, he appears as the sole playable character in the sub-game [[Dedede Gogogo]].
|-
| ''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''
| Cameo, reference
| There are several [[Sticker (Super Kirby Clash)|stickers]] of King Dedede, and a set of gear is based on [[Masked Dedede]]. [[King D-Mind]] returns in this game.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''
| Playable character and boss
| King Dedede is playable and also teams up with [[Meta Knight]] as the final boss of Story Mode.
|-
| ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
| Supporting protagonist, central antagonist, and boss
|
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''
| Reference
| Referenced by a [[Costumes|costume]] and [[color]] for Kirby, and also appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.
|-
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''
|Supporting protagonist and playable character
|Reprises his role from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''.
|-
!colspan=3|''Super Smash Bros.'' series
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
| Cameo
| Appears in the background of the [[Dream Land]] stage.
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
| Cameo
| Appears as a trophy and in the background of the [[Dream Land]] stage.
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
| Playable character
| Dedede also has a role in the story mode.
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''
| Playable character
|
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
| Playable character
| Dedede also has a role in the story mode.
|-
!colspan=3|Other appearances
|-
| ''[[mariowiki:Super Mario Maker|Super Mario Maker]]''
| Reference
| Mario can use a special item to take on Dedede's 8-bit appearance in courses.
|-
| ''[[mariowiki:Yoshi's Woolly World|Yoshi's Woolly World]]''
| Reference
| Yoshi can take on Dedede's appearance by tapping his amiibo.
|-
| ''[[nwiki:Bye-Bye BoxBoy!|BYE-BYE BOXBOY!]]''
| Reference
| Qbby can take on Dedede's appearance if the player uses Dedede's [[amiibo]].
|-
|''Part Time UFO''
|Reference
|One of the levels features a King Dedede plush doll.
|}

===''Kirby's Dream Land''===
King Dedede first appears in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', where he serves as the main antagonist and final boss. Prior to the game, King Dedede had stolen all of the food in Dream Land and left the population hungry, and had also stolen the land's [[Sparkling Star]]s. [[Kirby]] sets out to defeat Dedede and give the people back their food and their stars. After traveling through the different regions of the land, Kirby finally confronts the king in his castle atop [[Mt. Dedede]]. The two of them engage in battle in a wrestling ring. Kirby manages to defeat him and the food supplies of Dream Land are saved.

===''Kirby's Adventure / Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''===
[[File:KNiDL King Dedede battle.png|thumb|right|200px|Kirby battling King Dedede at the Fountain of Dreams (''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'')]]
In ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' and its remake ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'', King Dedede reappears as the apparent final boss of the game. The game begins with him stealing the [[Star Rod]] from the [[Fountain of Dreams]], which he then divides into seven pieces, giving six of them to his trusted allies and keeping the last for himself. This causes Kirby to assume ill will from his enemy, and he sets out and tries to restore the broken artifact. 

However, unknown to Kirby, King Dedede stole the Star Rod in order to safeguard Dream Land from the clutches of [[Nightmare]]. The misunderstanding results in Kirby defeating King Dedede at [[Rainbow Resort]] and retrieving all seven pieces of the Star Rod. As Kirby walks towards the Fountain of Dreams to return the Star Rod, King Dedede tries to hold him back and begs him to drop his ambitions. However, Kirby refuses to listen and releases Nightmare as a result. After Dedede inhales Kirby and fires him in the direction Nightmare went, Kirby manages to defeat Nightmare with the help of the Star Rod, and at the end, King Dedede's motivations of stealing it are finally revealed. He and Kirby can be seen flying next to each other during the credits.

King Dedede also has minor appearances during some of the game's sub-games and appears on the top of every boss level door.

===''Kirby's Pinball Land''===
[[File:KPL Dedede.png|thumb|right|150px|Kirby fighting King Dedede in ''Kirby's Pinball Land''.]]
King Dedede serves as the primary antagonist of ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'', escaping from Kirby via a series of bumpers in the intro cutscene. Once all three of the Pinball Lands have been cleared, Kirby can take a [[Warp Star]] from the main level hub to encounter Dedede in a special boxing ring stage.

This fight takes place in two phases. In the first, King Dedede poses in a spotlight and tosses bombs at the flippers to temporarily disable them. After five hits, the spotlight gives way to the fully-lit wrestling ring. Here, King Dedede has two different methods of attack. He can either puff up and chase Kirby around, or cast lightning from his hands to disable the flippers while held. He can also use his [[Super Dedede Jump]] to reposition himself. After eighteen more hits, Dedede is defeated. He lands out in a checkerboard field, and Kirby has him cornered, when a [[Kabu]] jumps from behind and flattens Kirby, allowing Dedede to escape with his entourage. From there, the game resets.

This is one of the few games in the series where King Dedede is without his hammer. This game also marks the only time that King Dedede has ever been able to shoot lightning bolts from his hands.

===''Kirby's Dream Course''===
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'', King Dedede has once again stolen all of Dream Land's stars, and is hoarding them in his castle. Kirby sets off to defeat him and get the stars back, facing him down at the end of the 1P Game in [[Robo Dedede|a giant robot]] that the King pilots. King Dedede also makes a small appearance in the opening cutscene for [[Course 8]].

===''Kirby's Avalanche''===
{{Quote|Kirby's goofy arch-rival is the #1 Avalanche player in Dream Land. You will need to focus all of your Avalanche skills to beat this character.|''Kirby's Avalanche'' Instruction Booklet (North American print), page 24}}
King Dedede is the final opponent in ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''. When Dedede's Puyos land, his half of the screen shakes slightly. This has no effect on gameplay, however. His Puyo Puyo equivalent is Dark Prince, though his screen-shaking effect comes from Zoh Daimaoh.

===''Kirby's Dream Land 2''===
Dedede does not appear until the final level of ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'', [[Dark Castle]]. He acts as the final boss if Kirby has not collected all of the [[Rainbow Drop]]s yet. If all have been collected and Kirby emerges victorious, the piece of [[Dark Matter]] that had possessed Dedede will leave the defeated king's body, enabling Kirby to fight it. Later on, King Dedede can be seen in the ending cutscene, looking on as Kirby repairs the bridges between the [[Rainbow Islands]].

King Dedede battles in a similar manner to his fight in ''Kirby's Dream Land'', but there are a few notable differences. During the fight, he changes between a drowsy "hypnotized" state where he is relatively slow and easy to avoid to a more aggressive state where his attacks speed up and create fiery projectiles that need to be avoided.

===''Kirby's Block Ball''===
[[File:KBBa King Dedede battle screenshot.png|thumb|right|King Dedede using a missile launcher in the last part of his battle in ''Kirby's Block Ball''.]]
In ''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]'', King Dedede is the main villain, having once again stolen the [[Sparkling Star]]s and hidden them in his castle. King Dedede is the final boss in this game and is encountered in the seventh round of [[Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 11|Stage 11]]. King Dedede has 24 hit points in this game, as opposed to other bosses which only have 12. 

King Dedede has a number of different methods of attack, which he uses at different intervals of remaining health. King Dedede starts by pulling out and tossing bombs at the paddles to shrink them. Further in, he puffs up and starts hovering around the area. While doing this, he will eat Kirby if he approaches from below and then spits him out again. In the final phase, King Dedede jumps from place to place and uses a rocket launcher to shoot missiles at the paddles to shrink them.

===''Kirby's Toy Box''===
King Dedede makes three appearances out of eight original ''[[Kirby's Toy Box]]'' mini-games. He acts as the Boss on the sixth stage of ''[[Kirby's Toy Box#Kirby's Toy Box - Star Breaker|Star Breaker]]'', a rewarding higher-difficulty target in ''[[Kirby's Toy Box#Kirby's Toy Box - Pinball|Pinball]]'', as well as an alternative variety of balls in ''[[Kirby's Toy Box#Kirby's Toy Box - Ball Rally|Ball Rally]]'' which are worth ten times more than standard Kirby balls if led all the way to the exit.

===''Kirby Super Star'' / ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''===
[[File:KSS DededeGourmetRace.png|thumb|King Dedede, as seen in the opening for Gourmet Race]]
King Dedede reappears as an antagonist in two main games of ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' and its remake ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'', namely [[Spring Breeze]] and [[Gourmet Race]], as well as [[Revenge of the King]] in the remake.

====Spring Breeze====
[[Spring Breeze]], being a re-imagining of ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', features King Dedede in his old role as the food-stealing villain. He engages Kirby in a boxing ring inside his castle on [[Mt. Dedede]], acting as the final boss of Spring Breeze. Much like in ''Kirby's Dream Land'', King Dedede attacks Kirby with his hammer, as well as by attempting to jump on or inhale the pink hero, requiring Kirby to inhale the stars created by some of his attacks and spit them back or make use of a Copy Ability. As Dedede gets stunned briefly and stops what he is doing whenever he takes damage, using a fast Copy Ability makes it possible for Kirby to entirely keep him from attacking.

====Gourmet Race====
In [[Gourmet Race]], Kirby confronts King Dedede in three different stages, [[Pumpkin Grand]], [[Corn Hall]], and [[Onion Garden]], where the two of them then engage in a race for [[food]]. In order to emerge victorious, Kirby must collect more food than the king and beat him to the finish line.

====Revenge of the King====
{{main|Masked Dedede}}
Exclusively in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'' is a game mode called [[Revenge of the King]]. It is a re-imagining of the [[Extra Mode]] of ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', with the return of those enemies from the original Extra Mode and the Flying Fortress [[Kabula]] (who is absent in [[Spring Breeze]]). When Kirby enters the ring in Castle Dedede, Dedede challenges him to a revenge fight. During his boss battle, Dedede takes up a persona known as '''Masked Dedede'''. In this form, he wears a mask and fights with a special metal hammer that can shoot flames and missiles.

King Dedede also appears as the penultimate opponent in [[Samurai Kirby]], where he is depicted wearing samurai-styled clothing. In ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', he is featured on two cards in the [[Kirby Card Swipe]] game; one of these cards depicts him in his Ball form from ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''. Additionally, he appears as a target in the [[Kirby on the Draw]] game wearing a cowboy inspired outfit.

{{clear}}

===''Kirby's Star Stacker'' (Game Boy)===
{{Quote|Hey Kirby! This means war!! If you can stack this many ★'s, you win!|King Dedede's opening dialogue for Normal mode of Round Clear in ''Kirby's Star Stacker''}}
In ''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)|Kirby's Star Stacker]]'' for [[Game Boy]], King Dedede is the one responsible for pounding the boards and causing rows to be added to the bottom of the board during gameplay. In the [[Round Clear (Game Boy)|Round Clear]] mode, Dedede also has a number of lines of dialogue which display at the beginning of each difficulty. His facial expression changes during Round Clear rounds depending on how well or poorly the player is doing. King Dedede also appears in the ending illustration for Super Hard difficulty, where he has been made into a snowman.

===''Kirby's Dream Land 3''===
[[File:KDL3 DededeKA.png|thumb|right|[[Ado]]'s drawing of King Dedede seen in the ending of ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'']]
When [[Dark Matter]] takes control of [[Popstar|Pop Star]] during ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', it possesses several of the planet's denizens, one of which is King Dedede. He is fought in level 5, [[Iceberg (Kirby's Dream Land 3)|Iceberg]], and is simultaneously the last boss of the game if Kirby didn't complete all of the errands in the numerous stages.

The fight against King Dedede is separated into two different phases: A battle on the ground, and a battle in the air. While being on the ground, Dedede uses his usual strategy of lunging at Kirby, trying to crush him with his mallet, and using his powerful suction attack. After taking several hits, the King switches to the second phase and begins floating in the air. His move pattern strikingly departs from his usual behavior in that phase, and he is capable of performing some gruesome attacks like opening his stomach area like a maw with pointy teeth and chasing Kirby, trying to eat him, or shooting black orbs of energy from a giant eyeball in his belly. The battle ends once Kirby manages to defeat King Dedede in this state.

Usually, the game ends at that point, but if Kirby managed to complete all the errands from the previous levels, he will get access to the actual final fight of the game, located in [[Hyper Zone]]. King Dedede can then be seen in the Hyper Zone introduction scene, and once Kirby defeats the [[Zero|final boss]], Dedede will appear in some of the drawings shown during the credits.
{{clear}}

===''Kirby's Star Stacker'' (Super Famicom)===
King Dedede is the final opponent in the Story Mode of ''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|Kirby's Star Stacker]]'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]]. He is the one responsible for blasting [[Mr. Star]] out of the sky in the first place and scattering his pieces, and King Dedede ends up with the last piece that Kirby needs to recover. Once Dedede is defeated, Mr. Star is restored to his former self, and the game is over (though [[Gryll|one more opponent]] awaits after the credits if Story Mode was completed without failing a round).

===''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''===
[[File:K64 Pop Star Stage 3 screenshot 10.png|thumb|150px|Kirby has to fight King Dedede again when he is possessed (for a third time) by Dark Matter. Dedede joins the party after being freed from this menace.]]
In ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', King Dedede is first fought as a mini-boss, but then ends up becoming an ally of Kirby and [[Ribbon]] in their cause to collect the [[Crystal Shard]]s and save [[Ripple Star]]. He is first seen in the game when he finds a Crystal Shard on top of his castle. He snatches it away right before Kirby can pick it up, much to the king's enjoyment. Before the group can convince him to return the shard, however, King Dedede gets possessed by [[Dark Matter (cloud)|Dark Matter]], which forces him to fight Kirby. The battle itself is reminiscent of the two phases of the King Dedede battle in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', albeit not as hard to complete. Kirby manages to defeat him, drive out Dark Matter, and get back the Crystal Shard, but King Dedede snaps after the battle and refuses to look at the group any further. After they leave, he can be seen visibly struggling, until he makes the decision to follow them along, because he was worried about Kirby's group going alone.<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nk4j/chara/index.html ''Kirby 64'' Official Japanese Website - Character Bios]</ref>

After that, he becomes playable in some level segments, allowing Kirby to ride him piggyback and to use his hammer to break through obstacles. He is also playable in the [[Sub-Game]]s that are accessible from the main menu. In addition to being playable for the first time in the series history, this game also marks the first time that King Dedede is given voice clips, provided by [[Masahiro Sakurai]].

Following a slight hint of such in the credits of ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', this is the first time Dedede is directly depicted as an ally of Kirby, albeit only because he is worried about his wellbeing. This is referenced by the name of the cutscene where he joins Kirby's group, "A Reluctant Ally," or '''ついていってやるよ''' (''I'm Coming Too'') in Japanese. Dedede's Japanese pause screen descriptions as an ally in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' both reference the idea that he is worried about the other heroes and include ついていってやるぜ ("I'm coming too"), maintaining this as a consistent part of his character.

===''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''===
[[File:KTnT King Dedede Screenshot 6.png|thumb|After defeating King Dedede, Kirby takes pity on him in ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''.]]
{{Quote|Kirby's archenemy can be taken out with a quick cannon attack.|Description from ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble'' North American instruction booklet}}
King Dedede serves as the main villain and final boss of ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''. The intro cutscene and the instruction booklet explains that he has robbed Popstar of its stars yet again, so Kirby must venture to defeat him and get the stars back.

In [[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble - Lvl 8-4|Lvl 8-4]], King Dedede can be found. He can be defeated by slamming into him repeatedly with a [[cannon]] blast. Once defeated, he starts crying, prompting Kirby to go and comfort him.

King Dedede also appears in the [[Sub-Game]] [[Kirby's Hurdle Race]] as the main opponent.

===''Kirby Air Ride''===
{{main|King Dedede (Kirby Air Ride)}}
King Dedede makes a relatively minor appearance in ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' as an unlockable character. After unlocked, he can be selected as an [[Air Ride Machine]] in the game's [[Air Ride]] mode. Unlike Kirby, he cannot [[inhale]] enemies, nor copy their abilities. However, he rides a powerful bike and is capable of wielding his [[Hammer#Kirby Air Ride|hammer]] as an effective weapon at all times.

Aside from his role as a playable character, a larger and more powerful version of the king appears as an antagonist in [[Vs. King Dedede]], a [[Stadium]] of the game's [[City Trial]] mode.

===''Kirby: Canvas Curse''===
{{ImCap|image=File:Eddy Dedede Ball Curse.png|align=right|size=31px|caption=In-game sprite of Ball King Dedede|captionalign = center|captionwidth=100px}}
[[File:KCC King Dedede sprite.png|left]]
In ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'', King Dedede appears as a boss painted by Drawcia to engage Kirby in [[Cart Run|a Gourmet Race-esque fight]]. Kirby needs to fight Dedede in two different levels in order to move on.

Further, if purchased in the Medal Shop, Dedede can become a playable character, being inflicted with the same curse as Kirby has. As a ball, King Dedede moves slower than the other characters, has a larger hitbox, and immediately sinks underwater, but can use his hammer to attack enemies and has eight hit points compared to the other characters.
{{clear}}

===''Kirby: Squeak Squad''===
In ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'', when Kirby's strawberry shortcake is stolen, Kirby immediately blames Dedede for the theft of his cake. However, upon defeating Dedede, it turns out that he didn't have anything to do with Kirby's cake. Suddenly, the titular [[Squeaks]] come in and steal the treasure chest believed to hold Kirby's cake. Suddenly, King Dedede grabs Kirby and throws him at the Squeaks, leading the bunch to a tunnel. Dedede doesn't appear for the rest of the story from that point on.

King Dedede serves as the first boss in this title. His moveset is largely the same as it has always been, but he has been weakened, and suffers more recoil from damage, in order to make him a more manageable first encounter.

===''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' / ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''===
{{main|King Dedede (boss stage)}}
{{quote|"This selfish Dream Land king wields a big hammer that's almost as big as his mouth!"|American English Patch Plaza description}}
{{quote|"This selfish Dream Land king wields a hammer that's almost as big as his mouth!"|British English Patch Plaza description}}
[[File:KEY King Dedede screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|250px|King Dedede's battle in ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'']]

In ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]'', King Dedede is initially seen through cutscenes in [[Dream Land]] having his Waddle Dees managing his treasure hoard. [[Yin-Yarn]] starts creating fake yarn Waddle Dees which try to blend in at first, but then start to take over once enough of them are created. They tie up all of the real Waddle Dees, along with King Dedede. This done, Yin-Yarn captures King Dedede with his [[Magic Sock]] and forces the king to serve him.

King Dedede appears in-game as the boss of [[Snow Land]] and as a yarn outline. Here, Kirby and [[Prince Fluff]] will have to battle him and try to pull the puppet strings off his back. Meanwhile, King Dedede attacks with his usual hammer. Once defeated, Kirby and Fluff can obtain the next piece of [[Magic Yarn]] and gain access to [[Space Land]]. If enough [[bead]]s were collected during the fight, they can also get the [[Area Patch|Penguin Patch]] to unlock [[Frigid Fjords]].

In ''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]'', King Dedede is playable in the Sub-Game [[Dedede Gogogo]]. Here, he runs along four different courses themed after stages from the main game, collecting [[Fuse Bead]]s by jumping, sliding, and slamming enemies with his hammer.

{{clear}}

===''Kirby Mass Attack''===
{{main|Dedede Resort - Boss Stage}}
[[File:Eddy Dedede MassAttack.png|left|50px]]
King Dedede appears in ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' as the boss of his own resort, '''Dedede Resort'''. In the battle, King Dedede rides in a hot air balloon and tosses two types of timed bombs down towards the Kirbys. Waddle Dees help by throwing their own bombs from the sidelines. Once Dedede's hot air balloon is disabled, he resorts to the old method of fighting with his own strength, primarily using his hammer. After being defeated, the way to [[Volcano Valley]] is opened.
{{clear}}

=== ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' / ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' ===
[[File:KRtDL King Dedede 3.png|thumb|right|150px|King Dedede from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'']]
King Dedede appears in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', but acts as a playable protagonist rather than an antagonist, controllable by the second, third, or fourth player. Alongside [[Meta Knight]] and [[Bandana Waddle Dee]], King Dedede assists Kirby in finding parts to the [[Lor Starcutter]] and defeating several bosses, including the final boss.

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|King Dedede's moveset in ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="20%"| Skill
!width="30%"| Button Execution
!width="20%"| Skill
!width="30%"| Button Execution
|-
| '''Hammer'''
| {{center|1}}
| '''Midair Hammer Swing'''
| {{center|1 in midair}}
|-
| '''Hammer Twirl'''
| {{center|↓ + 1}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Flip'''
| {{center|↑ + 1}}
|-
| '''Triple Dedede Hammer'''
| {{center|Hold 1, release}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Throw'''
| {{center|Dash + -}}
|-
| '''Giant Dedede Swing'''
| {{center|Dash + 1}}
| '''Underwater Hammer Swing'''
| {{center|1 underwater}}
|}
Although King Dedede never appears as a boss per se, a mechanical replica can be fought in the Sub-Game [[Scope Shot]].

In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', King Dedede's design has been updated to match his appearance in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'',  rather than the ''Kirby Super Star'' based design of the original. Additionally, [[Super Dedede Jump]] and [[Head Slide]] have been added to his moveset. He also reprises his role as a challenger in [[Samurai Kirby]] as well as a target in [[Kirby on the Draw]]. Finally, three [[Mask#Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe|Dress-Up Mask]]s are dedicated to King Dedede himself, including [[Forgo Dedede]] and [[Masked Dedede]], and they can be unlocked by completing [[Stamp Rally]] cards #10, #29, and #37 respectively. Wearing any of these masks will replace the wearer's voice with King Dedede's.

===''Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition''===
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]'', King Dedede appears in the intro animation that carries into the title. When he is transformed from his 2D sprite into his 3D model form, he briefly laments about the belly he was given. From there, he helps launch Kirby into the title screen so he can become part of the emblem.

Dedede does not appear in the [[New Challenge Stages]], but naturally can be found in the main titles featured in the collection. The three episodes of [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|the anime]] that are bundled with the collection also feature Dedede to some extent.

===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''===
====Story Mode====
In ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', King Dedede is first shown in the opening sequence, being captured by [[Taranza]], who mistook Dedede as the hero of Dream Land. Throughout the first five levels, he is seen in every boss stage, being carried by Taranza. In the final level, Taranza turns Dedede into [[Masked Dedede]]. After both his and [[Queen Sectonia]]'s defeat, Dedede comes back to his senses and helps Kirby defeat Queen Sectonia when she merges with the [[Dreamstalk]] as a last resort.

====Sub-Games====
[[File:KTD Dedede Stamina Bar.png|thumb|right|Dedede's [[Health]] bar]]
{{main|Dedede's Drum Dash}}
{{main|Dededetour!}}
Dedede has his own [[Sub-Game]]s, '''Dedede's Drum Dash''' (a rhythm action game) and '''Dededetour!''' (a time attack mode, similar to the [[Meta Knightmare]] series).

His moveset in Dededetour! is largely the same as it was in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', but he is made larger in size, comparable to [[Bonkers]], and is given a few new moves that allow him to solve puzzles that Kirby would normally require [[Copy Abilities]] for. Firstly, like [[Sword]] Kirby, Dedede can shoot a projectile from his regular Hammer if he has full health. Secondly, he can charge up and release an aimed projectile similar to [[Archer]] Kirby that can cut ropes. Lastly, Giant Dedede Swing now has a wind property that can put out flames, like [[Ice]] Kirby. As always, Hammer Twirl and Dedede Hammer Flip can light things on [[fire]].

====Moveset====
The following table lists King Dedede's moveset in Dededetour!:
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=6|King Dedede's Moveset in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' &nbsp;
|-
!'''Skill'''
!'''Button Execution'''
!'''Image'''
!'''Skill'''
!'''Button Execution'''
!'''Image'''
|-
| '''Hammer'''
| {{center|B}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer.png]]}}
| '''Hammer Twirl'''
| {{center|↓ + B}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer_Twirl.png]]}}
|-
| '''Hammer Wave'''
| {{center|B while at full health}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer_Wave.png]]}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Flip'''
| {{center|↑ + B}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer_Flip.png]]}}
|-
| '''Giant Dedede Swing'''
| {{center|Dash + B}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Giant_Dedede_Swing.png]]}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Cannon'''
| {{center|Press and hold B, and then release}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer_Cannon.png]]}}
|-
| '''Quick Fall'''
| {{center|↓↓ in midair}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Quick_Fall.png]]}}
| '''Aim Hammer Cannon'''
| {{center|Either of ↑↓ while holding B}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Aim_Hammer_Cannon.png]]}}
|-
| '''Giant Swing'''
| {{center|B in midair}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Giant_Swing.png]]}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Throw'''
| {{center|Dash + X}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Hammer_Throw.png]]}}
|-
| '''Ultra Swing'''
| {{center|Dash + B in midair}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD_Dedede_Ultra_Swing.png]]}}
| '''Underwater Hammer Swing'''
| {{center|B while swimming}}
|{{center|[[File:KTD Dedede Underwater Hammer Swing.png]]}}
|}

===''Kirby Fighters Deluxe''===
{{main|Team DDD}}
In ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]'' the standalone spin-off, King Dedede with his smaller clones are fought as '''Team DDD''' (the number varies on difficulty, the hardest being Team DDD64) in the Final Round of Single Player mode.

He also serves as a stage hazard in the stage [[Dedede Arena]].

===''Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe''===
''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]'' is the first game to feature King Dedede as the main character instead of Kirby. The game has him bouncing across drums in seven distinct stages to earn as high a score as possible. This is a standalone upgrade to [[Dedede's Drum Dash]]; the Sub-Game from ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.

===''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''===
While King Dedede himself does not feature in ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'', he is represented by one of the [[Figurine]]s. His absence is explained in the Play Nintendo comic ''In the Name of Fashion'', where he and [[Meta Knight]] are revealed to have lost their colors at the beginning of the game.<ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150810022055/https://play.nintendo.com/news-tips/comics/kirby-and-rainbow-curse-presents-name-of-fashion/ In the Name of Fashion]'' comic from Play Nintendo</ref>

King Dedede also appears in [[Elline]]'s [[Secret Diary]], though his depiction suggests that Elline has not actually seen him, as there are notable differences in his characterization.

<gallery>
KatRC King Dedede illustration.png|Elline's impression of King Dedede in the [[Secret Diary]]. Note the egg-shaped body, cape, and curly mustache.
</gallery>

===''Kirby: Planet Robobot''===
[[File:KPR Opening Cutscene Dedede.png|thumb|right|250px|Dedede's chess game is interrupted by a sudden alien invasion]]
In the opening cutscene for ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', King Dedede is seen playing a game of chess with his Waddle Dees at his castle when the [[Haltmann Works Company]] invasion begins. He orders his Waddle Dees to fire cannonballs at the invading ship, but to no avail. His castle is later destroyed by a laser from the ship. 

Dedede himself does not feature in the game after this point, but his genetic information is stolen by Haltmann Works to create the [[Dedede Clone]]. By the end of the game, he is shown to have been knocked unconscious the entire time and wakes up in his castle's rubble after Popstar is returned to normal.

===''Team Kirby Clash Deluxe'' / ''Super Kirby Clash''===
King Dedede himself does not feature in ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]'' or ''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''. However, [[King D-Mind|an alternate universe doppelgänger]] is encountered as a powerful boss in both games.

In ''Super Kirby Clash'', King Dedede is depicted by multiple [[Sticker (Super Kirby Clash)|stickers]], including "Macho King Dedede" from ''Kirby Star Allies''.

===''Kirby's Blowout Blast''===
[[File:KBBl Dedede Cutscene.png|thumb|right|250px|Giant King Dedede in ''Kirby's Blowout Blast'']]
In ''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]'', King Dedede is faced as the last boss of the main series of levels. He battles Kirby using his hammer and other techniques as usual, though in a 3D space. When defeated, he uses one of the [[Sparkling Star]]s to grow giant, and renew his attacks. When defeated again, he returns to normal size.

At the end of Secret Path, King Dedede also [[Masked Dedede|dons his mask]] when he grows giant, for the final encounter.

===''Kirby Battle Royale''===
{{main|Dedede's Cake Royale}}
King Dedede is the host of the [[Dedede's Cake Royale|grand tournament]] featured in the story mode of ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''. He oversees the [[Kirby Printer]], which creates copies of Kirby to fight the real thing and engages Kirby himself at the end of the Platinum League. When Kirby beats him, he pilots a giant robot, the [[Dededestroyer Z]], in a last-ditch effort to stop Kirby from claiming his cake.

King Dedede is a playable character in this title, unlockable after completing [[Dedede's Cake Royale]]. He fights similarly to [[Hammer]] Kirby, but has a unique B charge special. Additionally, a piece of alternate [[Costumes#Kirby Battle Royale|headgear]] for Hammer Kirby is based on Dedede.

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|King Dedede's moveset in ''Kirby Battle Royale'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="20%"| '''Skill'''
!width="30%"| '''Button Execution'''
!width="20%"| '''Skill'''
!width="30%"| '''Button Execution'''
|-
| '''Hammer'''
| {{center|B}}
| '''Dedede Hammer Throw'''
| {{center|Hold/release B}}
|-
| '''Hammer Twirl'''
| {{center|B during jump}}
| '''Giant Dedede Swing'''
| {{center|Y}}
|}

===''Kirby Star Allies''===
====As a boss====
[[File:Buff King Dedede KSA artwork.png|thumb|210px|Artwork of Macho King Dedede in ''Kirby Star Allies'']]
In ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', King Dedede serves as one of the [[Boss]]es. Here, possessed by a dark force, he orders his Waddle Dees to start gathering large stockpiles of food. Kirby and co. corner him at his castle, where he's eating the food. From here, the battle begins.

The first phase of the battle plays out as usual, with Dedede attacking using Head Slides, Dedede Jumps, his hammer, hovering and his Hypernova Inhale.

However, once the second phase begins, Dedede is consumed by the power possessing him and becomes considerably beefier his arms becoming huge and ripping through his robe. In the second phase, Dedede will be using his arms to pummel Kirby and friends, as well as toss food, swing around columns, and break the floor away. This form is called '''macho King Dedede'''<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/993898843472195584 Nintendo America Twitter post on "macho King Dedede" concept art]</ref> or '''buff King Dedede'''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/993853080037920768 Nintendo UK Twitter post on "buff Dedede" concept art]</ref>
{{main|King Dedede's Theme#Kirby Star Allies}}
King Dedede's boss battle theme in ''Kirby Star Allies'' is titled '''"Macho of Dedede"'''. This version is a remix of his iconic theme with a new section at the beginning.

Once defeated, a piece of the [[Jamba Heart]] pops out of King Dedede, and he returns to normal (his robe also being inexplicably repaired), then passes out. Kirby and co. do their victory dance, then pursue the Jamba Heart piece after the credits roll.

The following lists all of King Dedede's attacks during his boss battle.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2" width="75%"
!colspan=2|'''King Dedede's boss attacks in ''Kirby Star Allies''''' &nbsp;
|-
!colspan=2|First phase: King Dedede wields his hammer and attacks in a similar fashion to previous ''Kirby'' games.
|-
!width="20%"| '''Attack'''
!width="80%"| '''Description'''
|-
| '''ヘッドスライディング'''<br>''Head Slide''
|Dedede runs and dives into Kirby or an ally. He always begins with this attack in this boss battle, similar to many previous ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' games.<br>Unlike previous ''Kirby'' games, Head Slide leaves a [[Dropped Star]] on each side this time.
|-
| '''デデデジャンプ'''<br>''Dedede Jump''
|Dedede jumps into the air and attempts to land on Kirby or an ally. He leaves a star on each side when landing.
*It is only named "Super Dedede Jump" in this game when he uses it as a Dream Friend.
|-
| '''ハンマーたたき'''<br>''Hammer''
|Dedede slams his hammer in front of him. This leaves a star from his hammer. If he gets close to an airborne target, he will instead jump into the air and slam the hammer down, producing a shockwave. Both the hammer and shockwave leave behind stars.
|-
| '''ビッグバンすいこみ～はきだし'''<br>''Hypernova Inhale ~ Spit''
|Dedede jumps to one end of the stage, then inhales in the range of about half the stage. If he captures someone, he will then spit them out.
*King Dedede's inhale has been named "[[Hypernova|Hypernova Inhale]]" since ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', to reflect its improved range.
|-
| '''ホバリング'''<br>''Hover''
|Dedede takes in air and starts flying. Once he is finished, he releases an [[Air Bullet]] and falls back to ground level.
|-
!colspan=2|Second phase: When King Dedede's stamina is below about 65%, his hammer is destroyed and lost.<br>Now his body gets buffed under the influence of the dark heart and he attacks with his giant beefy arms.
|-
! '''Attack'''
! '''Description'''
|-
| '''デデデジャンプ'''<br>''Dedede Jump''
|In this phase, Dedede jumps into the air and slams the ground with his beefy arms. He leaves two stars on each side when landing. He may do this jump once or three times.
|-
| '''デスパレートダムダム'''<br>''Desperate Dam Dam''
|Dedede attacks with his beefy arms, slamming the ground in succession. Every slam leaves a star.<br>At the end of Dedede's combo, a rock is flipped out from the floor, which can be swallowed for the [[Stone]] ability.<br>After breaking the floor of the castle, Dedede instead jumps to a nearby pillar, charges up and then slams both his arms onto the ground. This occurs twice in a row after breaking the floor once and three times after breaking the floor twice. After the final instance of the attack, his arms get stuck in the ground for a few seconds before he pulls them out, along with some rocks.
*ダムダム (''dam dam'') is most commonly associated with the sound of dribbling a basketball, but can figuratively be taken to mean the sound of anything bouncing off a floor, such as Dedede's fists in this case.
|-
| '''ディスポーズフード'''<br>''Dispose Food''
|Dedede collects some rotten food from the pile and tosses it at Kirby or an ally. This food is dangerous if swallowed, but can be cleaned using [[Water]] or any [[Splash]] elemental ability. After breaking the floor of the castle, he hops on a nearby pillar before tossing the food to a certain character.
|-
| '''Stage Transition'''
|When Dedede's [[health]] is lowered to two given moments (about 45% and 25% left), he slams the floor with his beefy arms, causing it to break and sending everyone to a lower level which contains pillars.<br>Kirby and friends are separated into different sides of the pillars. The bottom of the pillars can be destroyed so Kirby can reunite with his allies.<br>The first level below has one pillar and the second level below has two pillars.
*This attack has no official name.
|-
| '''ディザスターグルグル'''<br>''Disaster Spin''
| Dedede spins around the pillars, jumping from one to the other.
*グルグル ''(guru guru)'' means "spin"/"twirl" in Japanese. Its synonym can be found in the names of some [[Copy Ability]] attacks like <u>ぐりぐり</u>ハンマー ([[Hammer]] Twirl) and <u>ぐりぐり</u>パラソル ([[Parasol]] Twirl).
|-
| '''ダムダムターン'''<br>''Dam Dam Turn''
| After breaking the floor, Dedede may occasionally follow up Desperate Dam Dam by slamming his arm in the ground twice in three sets, with each set in a different direction; left or right. After the third set, he slams his arm in the ground and it gets stuck. After a second or two, he pulls his arm out as a rock comes flying out of it.
*This attack is only named in concept art seen from [[Kirby JP Twitter]], and is otherwise considered to be the same as "Desperate Dam Dam" in official guides.
|-
!colspan=2|Attack names are taken from Japanese guide books where applicable; English translations are taken from official sources in other games where possible.
|}

In the first phase, King Dedede attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:
#Head Slide x2
#Dedede Jump x3
#Hammer
#Dedede Jump
#Hypernova Inhale ~ Spit
#Head Slide
#Dedede Jump
#Hover

In the first-third of phase 2, King Dedede switches to this pattern:
#Dedede Jump
#Desperate Dam Dam
#Dispose Food x3
#Dedede Jump x3
#Dispose Food x3

After losing some of his health during phase 2 and after using the "Stage Transition" attack, King Dedede attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:
#Dispose Food x2
#Desperate Dam Dam x2
#Disaster Spin
#Desperate Dam Dam x2
#Dam Dam Turn
#Disaster Spin
#Desperate Dam Dam x2

After losing some more of his health during phase 2 and after using the "Stage Transition" attack for a second time, King Dedede switches to this fixed order on loop:
#Disaster Spin x2
#Desperate Dam Dam x3
#Dam Dam Turn
#Dispose Food
#Disaster Spin x2
#Desperate Dam Dam x3
#Disaster Spin x2
#Dispose Food
#Desperate Dam Dam x3

====As a Dream Friend====
King Dedede also appears as a [[Dream Friend]], recruitable from a [[Dream Palace]]. In this form, he can help Kirby and travel with him using a moveset similar to the one he had in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''. However, he is now able to use the Head Slide attack, which formerly could only be seen in his boss battles. In the latest update, the same can be said for the Super Dedede Jump (although he could use it as his up special in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' games]] earlier).

King Dedede can also be recruited as an ally right after his defeat as a Boss if a [[Friend Heart]] is tossed at him at the right moment in Story Mode and [[Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!]].

=====Moveset=====
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=2|King Dedede's Dream Friend moveset in ''Kirby Star Allies'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="20%"|Skill
!width="30%"|Button Execution
|-
|'''Hammer'''
|{{center|B}}
|-
|'''Dedede Hammer Throw'''
|{{center|Dash + Y}}
|-
|'''Hammer Twirl'''
|{{center|↓ + B}}
|-
|'''Head Slide'''
|{{center|Dash + ↓ + B, release}}
|-
|'''Giant Dedede Swing'''
|{{center|Dash + B}}
|-
|'''Super Dedede Jump'''
|{{center|↓, and then ↑ + B (Added in v4.0.0 update; Can be repeated immediately up to 3 times)}}
|-
|'''Giant Swing'''
|{{center|B in midair}}
|-
|'''Underwater Hammer Swing'''
|{{center|B underwater}}
|-
|'''Ultra Giant Swing'''
|{{center|Dash + B in midair}}
|-
|'''Hover'''
|{{center|A in midair}}
|-
|'''Dedede Hammer Flip'''
|{{center|↑ + B}}
|-
|'''Air Bullet'''
|{{center|B during Hover}}
|-
|'''Move While Charging'''
|{{center|During Dedede Hammer Flip ↔}}
|-
|}

=====Performance=====
King Dedede as the playable Dream Friend can deal more damage than [[Hammer]] Kirby and [[Bonkers]] when using the same moves.<ref>[https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv419371 ''Kirby Star Allies'' Copy Ability damage value and Boss HP data from experiments (in Chinese)]</ref> What's more, King Dedede has a larger attack range than those two characters thanks to Dedede being taller (i.e. better aerial range).

===''Kirby Fighters 2''===
King Dedede plays a prominent role in ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', both as a playable character and as a boss, [[King Dedede & Meta Knight|paired up with]] [[Meta Knight]]. King Dedede is unlocked as a playable fighter after [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals]] is completed. His moveset is largely the same as it is in ''Kirby Star Allies''. Notably, he has 15% more [[stamina|health]] than other playable characters, perhaps to help compensate for his larger size. Additionally, one of his battle entrance poses is the same pose he assumes in his ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' render.

For more precise competitive-oriented information on King Dedede in ''Kirby Fighters 2'', see [https://wiki.gbl.gg/w/Kirby_Fighters_2/King_Dedede Mizuumi Wiki's page].

For more information about his role as a boss, see [[King Dedede & Meta Knight]].

====Moveset====
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=5|King Dedede's moveset in ''Kirby Fighters 2'' &nbsp;
|-
! Skill
! Button Execution
! Description
! Damage (unmodified)
! Notes
|-
| '''Hammer'''
| {{center|B}}
| King Dedede pounds the ground in front of him with his hammer, dealing large damage to foes in the way.
| 32 <br>13 (indirect hit)
|
|-
| '''Hammer Twirl'''
| {{center|↓ + B}}
| King Dedede thrusts his hammer down and spins it, drilling into foes caught in the motion.
| 34 (if all hits connect)
| This move no longer has invincibility frames during normal battles.
|-
| '''Giant Dedede Swing'''
| {{center|Dash + B}}
| King Dedede slides forward while spinning with his hammer out, dragging foes along with his motion.
| 41 (if all hits connect)
| This move no longer has invincibility frames during normal battles.
|-
| '''Giant Swing'''
| {{center|B in midair}}
| King Dedede performs a somersault with his hammer out, hitting foes around him.
| 24
|
|-
| '''Ultra-Giant Swing'''
| {{center|Dash + B in midair}}
| King Dedede performs several somersaults with his hammer out, hitting foes around him.
| 32 (if all hits connect)
|
|-
| '''Dedede Hammer Flip'''
| {{center|↑ + B}}
| King Dedede charges his hammer and releases a powerful upward swing at varying levels of charge, sending his opponent flying and dealing massive damage when fully charged. If Dedede charges for too long, his hammer's head breaks, and he can only swing the handle for small damage.
| 36 (uncharged) <br>48 (partially charged) <br>76 (fully charged) <br>8 (overcharged)
|
|-
| '''Move While Charging'''
| {{center|During Dedede Hammer Flip ←/→}}
| King Dedede can slowly shuffle left or right while charging Hammer Flip. He can also jump a short distance.
| N/A
|
|-
| '''Dedede Hammer Throw'''
| {{center|Dash + ↑ + B}}
| King Dedede performs a spin with his hammer out, then tosses it forward, where it explodes upon hitting an enemy.
| 36 (if all swing hits connect) <br>35 (thrown hammer)
| This move no longer has invincibility frames during normal battles.
|-
| '''Head Slide'''
| {{center|Dash + ↓ + B}}
| King Dedede leaps forward and crashes into his opponent.
| 24 (initial hit) <br>7 (subsequent hits)
| This move no longer has invincibility frames during normal battles.
|-
| '''Super Dedede Jump'''
| {{center|↓, then ↑ + B}}
| King Dedede jumps high into the air, then crashes back down, creating stars on impact. King Dedede can steer himself left or right while jumping.
| 17 (rising hit) <br>30 (impact) <br>13 (stars)
| This move no longer has invincibility frames during normal battles. Additionally, its left and right movement has been greatly reduced since ''Kirby Star Allies.'' The move can be done up to three times in a row.
|}

===''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''===
[[File:KatFL King Dedede artwork.png|thumb|Artwork of King Dedede as a boss in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''.]]
King Dedede returns in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'' as a boss, titled '''His Royal Nemesis''' like in ''Kirby Star Allies''. His appearance is drastically different from previous games. He somewhat resembles his ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'' design, but with more prominent fur, torn clothing, and a mottled orange leopard-skin robe with red feathers sticking out of the collar. In addition, his pupils are now red and he has a stripe of red war paint across his face, somewhat resembling a blush. However, the former seems to be an effect of his possession - once freed, his pupils return to being a dark blue.

Upon arriving to the [[new world]] at the beginning of the game, his first thought is to look for Kirby, who, to his misery, hasn't arrived yet. After a while his mind slowly gets possessed by telepathic waves from [[Fecto Forgo]]'s larval state into helping the [[Beast Pack]]. Kirby first encounters him in the [[Winter Horns]] boss stage [[An Unexpected Beast King]], where once defeated, he successfully captures [[Elfilin]] and escapes to the Forbidden Island. The next time Kirby comes across King Dedede in [[In the Presence of the King]], he is further corrupted by a mask resembling a hog, now [[Forgo Dedede]]. After being beaten for the last time, King Dedede reunites with his Waddle Dees, no longer controlled by Fecto Forgo. However, this rejoice is abruptly interrupted when a stampede of Beast Pack members closes in on the group, and King Dedede decides to stay back and fight the beasts alone after saving one of his [[Waddle Dee]]s who tripped and fell behind Kirby and the others.

After defeating the Ultimate Life-Form, King Dedede is shown to have survived (despite the Beast Pack horde catching up to Kirby at the end of the battle of [[Leongar]]), having moved into [[Waddle Dee Town]], along with the three Waddle Dees that were saved at the end of [[Redgar Forbidden Lands]], next to the Colosseum.

King Dedede has 1,600 HP in [[An Unexpected Beast King]] and 1,120 HP in the [[Colosseum]]. He enters the second phase when his health is less than 40% and takes 0.2X damage when he roars at the start of the battle and during the transition to phase 2.<ref name="FL">[https://docs.google.com/file/d/1UF0W1OgjFWUjTaUEs_jakGtbVUA_vVHt/view ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''  damage and health spreadsheet (Japanese)]</ref>

The following lists all of King Dedede's attacks during his boss battle (attack names are from the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide''). He is accompanied by two [[Primal Awoofy|Primal Awoofies]] at the start, both of which are ordered to immediately rush Kirby.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border=1 cellpadding=2
!colspan=5|King Dedede's attacks in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' &nbsp;
|-
!Attack
!Description
!Variants
|-
|'''ハンマーたたき'''<br>''Hammer''
|King Dedede approaches Kirby with his hammer and, once close enough, slams down, creating a [[Dropped Star]] on impact.<br>King Dedede always begins the battle with one instance of this attack and might do two of them in a row before the "Dedede Swing."
|
|-
|'''スーパーデデデジャンプ'''<br>''Super Dedede Jump''
|King Dedede makes a great leap into the air, then falls down, producing a shockwave on landing and causing a ring of Dropped Stars to appear around him. He may use this move up to three times in succession, with the last jump being a very high spinning one.
|
|-
|'''ヘッドスライディング'''<br>''Head Slide''
|King Dedede runs after Kirby and dives at him, producing two Dropped Stars on impact, assuming that the head slide doesn't occur too close to the edge of the arena.
|
|-
|'''デデデスイング'''<br>''Dedede Swing''
|King Dedede approaches Kirby with his hammer and, once close enough, swings around laterally, creating a [[Dropped Star]] after the swing.
|King Dedede may do the "Hammer" attack twice before finishing with this move.
|-
!colspan=3|'''Second phase only''' &nbsp;
|-
|'''エンド オブ アイスエイジ'''<br>''End of Ice Age''
|King Dedede slams the ground hard with his pillar, creating a fissure that spreads out from the impact and erupts with icy spikes.
|
|-
|'''NEW WORLDアタック'''<br>''NEW WORLD Attack''
|King Dedede attacks with his pillar, slamming the ground and creating lots of Dropped Stars.
|The initial attack may happen once or three times before the NEW WORLD Swing.
|-
|'''NEW WORLDスイング'''<br>''NEW WORLD Swing''
|King Dedede swings his pillar laterally and creating lots of Dropped Stars.
|The NEW WORLD Attack may happen once or three times before the swing, while other times Dedede may only do the NEW WORLD Swing.
|}

=== ''Kirby's Dream Buffet'' ===
King Dedede does not appear directly in ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''. However, Kirby can dress up like him and take on his main body color using the [[Color]]s and [[Costumes]] menu. Additionally, King Dedede appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.

{{clear}}

===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
====''Super Smash Bros.''====
King Dedede makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''. In the background of [[smashwiki:Dream Land (SSB)|Dream Land]], a King Dedede sprite can be seen flying around. In addition, [[smashwiki:Unused content (SSB)|King Dedede was planned to be a playable character but was scrapped later in development]].

====''Super Smash Bros. Melee''====
King Dedede makes another cameo appearance in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', appearing as a random trophy and reprising his previous role as a sprite in [[smashwiki:Dream Land (SSBM)|Dream Land]].

====''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''====
=====As a Playable Character=====
{{SmashWiki|King Dedede (SSBB)}}
[[File:King Dedede SSBB.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Artwork of King Dedede from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.]]
King Dedede makes his first appearance as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' alongside [[Meta Knight]], who is also a new fighter, and Kirby, who has been a fighter since the first game. His attacks are especially strong, particularly his side Smash Attack, though the fact that he is slow can greatly lower the player's chance of winning. Like Kirby, he has the ability to jump multiple times.

Despite King Dedede's heavyweight status, his four midair jumps and very long-range up-special '[[Super Dedede Jump]]' can allow him to come back from even the deepest parts of off-stage. As such, his survivability is quite high, even if he is often unable to get a hit against speedier characters. His ability to 'chain-grab' certain opponents (by grabbing and throwing them over and over again) makes him very dangerous in certain matchups, and in many cases makes up for his otherwise lackluster moveset. King Dedede is also infamous for his forward-tilt attack, where he juts his hammer out forward in a motion that can hit much farther than any other attack of its type in the game.

=====Role in The Subspace Emissary=====
{{SmashWiki|Plot summary of The Subspace Emissary}}
In the Adventure Mode of ''Brawl'', '''The Subspace Emissary''', King Dedede plays a major role in the story.

At the beginning of the gameplay, he is seen turning other protagonists into trophies and putting his badges on them. However, it turns out Dedede is actually not affiliated with the Subspace Army, similar to his role in his home series as surprise hero.

In the prologue, King Dedede accidentally allows the Subspace Army to capture the Halberd while distracting Meta Knight. Soon after, he learns of the presence of [[smashwiki:Tabuu|Tabuu]], the final boss of the story who can turn any character into a trophy with his Off Waves. Dedede then develops badges called [[smashwiki:Dedede Brooch|Dedede Brooches]], which can revive the character trophies at a set time.

He manages to get Ness, Luigi, and either Peach or Zelda's trophy (which princess depends on player action), as well as steal Wario's transportation vehicle, a Cargo. He attempts to take Mario and Pit/Link and Yoshi's trophies, but Kirby slashes the Cargo claw, with an arrow from either Pit or Link slowing it down. He heads to his castle in order to place his brooches, but as he does, Bowser breaks the roof, crushing Dedede. Bowser steals the princess, and during an encounter with Kirby's group, the brooch falls off. Kirby inhales the brooch off-screen. His castle is absorbed by a Subspace Bomb.

The protagonists later face Tabuu, but all get knocked out and turned into trophies by his Off-Waves. Thanks to the Dedede Brooches, Luigi and Ness are revived. They revive King Dedede, and they revive several fighters, while the newly awakened Kirby also does so. King Dedede combats Bowser, showing him that Tabuu is a common enemy. Dedede reunites with Kirby joyously, and if Wario is revived, convinces him to join the team like with Bowser. The fighters go through the Great Maze, and defeat Tabuu, with the help of Sonic, Dedede gleefully viewing the sunset with the rest of the cast.

{{clear}}

====''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''====
{{SmashWiki|King Dedede (SSB4)}}
{{ImCap
|image=File:King Dedede SSB4.png
|size=240px
|align=right
|caption=King Dedede in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''.
}}
King Dedede was confirmed as a veteran fighter for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' during the Super Smash Bros. Direct on April 8th, 2014. As his creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]] stated, the king is now more expressive. Another major difference is that he throws Gordos instead of Waddle Dees. However, the Waddle Dees and Parasol Waddle Dees appear as enemies in Smash Bros 3DS' Smash Run, and the Gordos the king throws can be deflected back by his enemies.

Additionally, his Final Smash was changed to Dedede Burst, which involves him trapping his opponents using his Inhale, then hitting them with a giant bomb that pops out of his hammer. Unfortunately, whether by a bug or otherwise, this is the only trapping-type Final Smash in the game that can be jumped out of before all of the attacks connect.

Once again, King Dedede reprises his role from ''Super Smash Bros.'' and ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' in [[smashwiki:Dream Land (SSB4)|Dream Land]], which has been reintroduced as DLC content. However, if King Dedede is present in the battle, then the King Dedede sprite will not appear.

====''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''====
{{SmashWiki|King Dedede (SSBU)}}
{{ImCap
|image=File:King Dedede SSBU.png
|size=240px
|align=right
|caption=King Dedede in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.
}}

King Dedede returns in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', though this time he must be unlocked before he can be used. Although retaining his essential characteristics as a slow heavyweight with five jumps, he has had many important improvements to his moveset to help offset his status as one of the worst fighters in the previous game. His main improvements come in the form of stronger and safer hammer attacks, which can now properly ward off opponents in most cases. His mobility has also been improved somewhat and his already heavy weight increased even further, now equal to Donkey Kong. While still poorly regarded in the competetive scene, he is universally agreed to still be improved compared to his previous appearance.

King Dedede has had a couple of fundamental changes to his moveset as well. His Inhale can now catch projectiles and spit them back for increased damage, acting as a sort of reflector much like Kirby's. In addition, he was once again given a new Final Smash (this one known as 'Dede-Rush'), which allows him to throw his opponents into a caged boxing ring and assault them as [[Masked Dedede]] before launching them away.

{{clear}}

==In ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!''==
{{main|King Dedede (anime character)}}
[[File:Anime King Dedede Artwork.png|thumb|right|200px|King Dedede from the anime]]
In ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', King Dedede serves as one of the villains of the story, though the role of true villain belongs to [[eNeMeE]]. He rules over [[Dream Land (anime)|Dream Land]], which includes the residents of [[Cappy Town]], though said residents do not treat him with must respect or loyalty. His [[Castle Dedede|castle]] is situated on a high cliff overlooking the town. Other castle residents include his main lackey [[Escargoon]], [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] and his apprentices [[Sword Knight (anime character)|Sword Knight]] and [[Blade Knight (anime character)|Blade Knight]], [[Sir Ebrum]], [[Lady Like]], their children [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]], and a retinue of [[Waddle Dee (anime character)|Waddle Dee]]s led by [[Captain Waddle Doo]].

King Dedede is characterized in the anime as a jealous, short-tempered, and foolish tyrant who tries constantly to remove [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]] from Dream Land, whether that be by attempting to destroy him with a [[monster]] purchased from [[Night Mare Enterprises]] or by attempting to subvert Cappy Town's support of the pink [[Star Warrior]]. Most of his rage when these plans are foiled is directed at his assistant Escargoon, who puts up with this abuse on the regular. He is also shown to be extremely childish, and is prone to attacking other characters with his hammer when he doesn't get what he wants. He does, however, have a rarely-seen compassionate side, and is occasionally shown treating Escargoon or Kirby as a friend. He is shown to be unable to read. In the Japanese version of the show, King Dedede ends most of his sentences with "zoi".
{{clear}}

==In the ''Kirby'' novel series==
{{ImCap|image=File:Light Novel King Dedede Artwork.png|size=100px|caption=King Dedede from the novel series}}
{{Main|King Dedede (novel character)}}
King Dedede is one of the main protagonists of the [[Kirby (novel series)|''Kirby'' novel series]], along with being the star of [[Kirby: King Dedede's Great Escape Mission!|one of the novels]]. He lives in [[Castle Dedede|his castle]] in [[Dream Land]] as the self-proclaimed ruler. He gets along well with [[Meta Knight (novel character)|Meta Knight]] and sometimes [[Kirby (novel character)|Kirby]]. He is identical in appearance to his game counterpart, and shares the same large appetite. He considers Kirby to be his rival.
{{Clear}}

==Portrayals==
King Dedede was first voiced by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''.  Since then, while Sakurai continued to voice Dedede in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series since ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', he has been voiced by [[Shinya Kumazaki]] in all of his ''Kirby'' series appearances since ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. Interestingly, however, Kumazaki is never credited in-game for his voice work.

In ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', King Dedede is voiced by Kenichi Ogata in the original Japanese version and Ted Lewis in the English dub, where he was depicted with a distinct Texan accent.

==Profiles==
===Flavor text===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan=1|Image
!rowspan=1|Game
!rowspan=1|Flavor text
|-
|[[File:Kirby Canvas Curse box art.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''
|''Big, heavy, and mallet-toting!''
|-
|[[File:KRtDL Boxart L.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
|''The {{color|red|king}} of Dream Land! This {{color|red|big}} dude is one {{color|red|tough}} cookie. With his {{color|red|trusty hammer}}, it’s aim once, WHAM once!''
|-
|[[File:KTD Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
|''At long last--{{color|orange|Dededetour}}! This land will not be ruled by {{color|orange|Queen Sectonia}}. No! It will be ruled by {{color|orange|the king}}! The self-proclaimed Great King of Dream Land embarks on his own {{color|orange|adventure}}!''
|-
|[[File:KatRC NA box art.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''
|''The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land loves to swing his giant hammer and breathe in lots of air. He spends countless hours in training in order to learn how to fly just like Kirby. He appears here in figurine form only.''
|-
|[[File:KSA Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''
|'''As a boss:'''<br>
''Surely King Dedede would never steal all the food in the kingdom and hoard it for himself... Why would he do such a vile deed?! Such questions will have to wait, as the king is coming for his eternal rival with all the fury of a wild beast!''<br><br>
'''As a Dream Friend:'''<br>
''The rival to rival all rivals, ever since Kirby's Dream Land! This tough guy calls himself a king and can take a friend's power and add it to that of his hammer... Wait, rather than reading about it, you should just try it out! Go on! You know you can't resist!''<br><br>
'''Guest Star King Dedede:'''<br>
''"I'll be the one to keep the peace!"''<br>
''Kirby's first rival, from Kirby's Dream Land, wants to clean up his image, so he's set off to save his people. There's no stopping this self-made king, so watch out, world!''
|-
|[[File:KatFL Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
|'''<small>His Royal Nemesis</small><br>King Dedede (figure)'''<br>
''King Dedede arrived in the new world shortly before Kirby and his friends! It looked like he joined forces with the Beast Pack, but that's no excuse for his mistreatment of the Waddle Dees! His iconic gown seems to have been altered to match his newfound allegiance...and he seems way, way stronger somehow!''<br><br>
'''Destined Rivals (figure)'''<br>
''"Planet Popstar's destined rivals!" That's how King Dedede usually describes this special relationship, so he was crestfallen when he arrived in the new world and couldn't find Kirby. By the time they finally met, Dedede had changed from friendly rival to menace!''
|-
|[[File:KRtDLD Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''
|''Make way for the {{color|red|king}} of Dream Land! I'm <big>{{color|red|big}}</big> and {{color|red|burly}}, just like my {{color|red|hammer}}. You won't get far without me...so <big>I'm coming too!</big>''
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' trophy===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|King Dedede's trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' &nbsp;
|-
!width=''12%''|Name
!width=''12%''|Image
!width=''25%''|Appears In
!width=''50%''|Description
|-
|align=center|King Dedede
|[[File:DededeTrophyMelee.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|Kirby's Dream Land (08/92)
|align=center|''Dedede's the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land. While he says he's king, Dedede performs no administrative functions and the citizens of Dream Land continue to live as they always have. He's able to suck in air and fly like Kirby does, but only as a result of the vigorous training he undertook after being bested by Kirby.''
|-
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' trophy===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|King Dedede's trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' &nbsp;
|-
!width=''12%''|Name
!width=''12%''|Image
!width=''25%''|Appears In
!width=''50%''|Description
|-
|align=center|King Dedede
|[[File:DededeTrophyBrawl.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land<br>'''N64''' Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
|align=center|The self-styled king of the amazingly peaceful Dream Land. He continually does things unbecoming a king, like stealing the kingdom's food supplies or all the stars from the sky. He's not all bad, though, and sometimes performs good deeds. While he and Kirby often battle, they've been known to compete good-naturedly at speed-eating contests and minigames.
|-
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' trophies===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=6|King Dedede's trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="12%"|Name
!width="12%"|3DS Image
!width="12%"|Wii U Image
!width=''25%''|Appears In
!width="25%"|American English description
!width="25%"|British English description
|-
|align=center|King Dedede
|[[File:DededeTrophy3DS.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|[[File:DededeTrophyWiiU.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|align=center bgcolor=lightblue|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992) <br> '''3DS''' Kirby: Triple Deluxe (05/2014)
|''He calls himself the King of Dream Land, but he doesn't have a lot of interest in ruling. He really loves to eat, so it's no surprise he's a heavyweight fighter. Despite his size and low speed, he can easily recover with his four jumps. His Jet Hammer will leave a mark on everyone he meets.
|''Being a self-proclaimed king, Dedede clearly doesn't care too much about the whole "politics" things. He's just a bit greedy. In this game, his weight and hefty hammer make him slow, but he can still jump four times in mid-air anyway, making it easy for him to get back to the stage. Fully charge his Jet Hammer for ultimate destruction.''
|-
|align=center|King Dedede (Alt.)
|[[File:DededeAltTrophy3DS.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|[[File:DededeAltTrophyWiiU.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|align=center bgcolor=lightblue|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992) <br> '''3DS''' Kirby: Triple Deluxe (05/2014)
|''For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede sends a Gordo bouncing with a hammer strike. It bounces off walls—or sometimes gets stuck in them. After a while it'll disappear. If an enemy hits one, it'll bounce back toward you. Use the special again to whack it back at them!''
|''For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede hits a Gordo with his hammer, sending it bouncing along the stage. It'll bounce off walls, or sometimes get stuck in them. Then, after a while, it'll disappear. If an enemy hits the Gordo with an attack, it'll fly back towards you. Use the special again to whack it back at them!''
|-
|}
<small>Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.</small>

===''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' manual===
*''"From his castle high atop the mountains, King Dedede rules over all of Dream Land. Is he responsible for the theft of Kirby's Cake? Only time will tell..."''

===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20230523095014/https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/manual-3DS-kirby-triple-deluxe-en.pdf electronic manual]===
*''"The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land and Kirby's archrival. Might he have a role to play?"''

===amiibo===
*''Every hero needs an arch frenemy, and King Dedede is Kirby’s! He calls himself the King of Dream Land, but he doesn’t have a lot of interest in ruling. His hobbies include eating, stirring up trouble, and yelling orders at his loyal Waddle Dees while bashing things with his huge hammer.''

===[[Play Nintendo]]===
'''''Every hero needs an arch frenemy, and King Dedede is Kirby’s!'''<br>The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, King Dedede just loves stirring up trouble. His other hobbies include yelling orders at his loyal Waddle Dees and bashing things with his huge hammer.''

===Kirby Portal===
*''The greedy, self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, King Dedede is Kirby’s “arch-frenemy”. Armed with a giant hammer, King Dedede often causes trouble, but sometimes helps Kirby out in a pinch.''

==Music==
King Dedede is often associated with the following musical themes:
*'''[[King Dedede's Theme]]'''
*'''[[Gourmet Race (theme)]]'''

King Dedede has also occasionally been related to '''[[Masked Dedede's Theme]]''', but that theme is usually reserved for [[Masked Dedede|his alter ego]].

==Trivia==
*King Dedede's appearance in ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'' is the only one in which he does not wear gloves in-game, though his artwork for earlier games such as ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'' depicts him without gloves.
*King Dedede is often subject to possession and other forms of mind control. He has been possessed by [[Dark Matter]] in all of its appearances, and in both ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', he is possessed by the main villains, [[Hyness]] and [[Fecto Forgo]] respectively. Additionally, King Dedede has been unwillingly puppeteered by both [[Yin-Yarn]] and [[Taranza]].
*In his playable appearances in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', King Dedede's hitbox is the same size as Kirby's, despite his model being much larger. Due to this, he can squeeze through the same gaps that Kirby can, even when it appears as though he shouldn't. This was changed in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' however, due to the fact that a bigger hitbox wouldn't hinder the progression in that particular game.<ref>[https://www.ndw.jp/kirby_02/ Nintendo Dream Interview from May 2018]</ref>
*Since ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', the inhale attack of King Dedede (including his other forms) has got a significantly increased range, and has been titled '''ビッグバンすいこみ''' (''Big Bang Inhale'', Big Bang being the Japanese name of [[Hypernova]]) in the Japanese version.
*King Dedede became the "Osaka Station Master", the icon for the Osaka fair of Japan's Pupupu Train merchandise event during June 15-25, 2018.<ref>[https://ishop.tbs.co.jp/special/tbs/kirby/event.html '''Pupupu Train 2018''' event information]</ref> Residents of Osaka are frequently stereotyped as loud and brash figures, similarly to Dedede's portrayal throughout the series.

==Gallery==
{{Main|King Dedede/gallery}}

==Quotes==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2" 
|'''Quotes from King Dedede in the ''Kirby series''''' &nbsp;
|-
|<tabs>
<tab name="Kirby’s Avalanche">
*"''Kirby!! Your dream has carried you far, but here it ends. The Dream Fountain Cup will be mine!''"
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Course (unofficial translation)">
*''"Nyehehehe! There was one left!"''
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Star Stacker (Game Boy)">
*''"Hey Kirby! This means war!! If you can stack this many ★'s, you win!"''
*''"When you lose, I get to laugh at you...big time! Ha-ha-ha!!"''
*''"What do you think? Lot's{{sic}} of work, huh?! It will get much, much faster!"''
*''"Shoot, shoot, shoot... Think you can win? Think again!"''
*''"Don't let your head get so big. I haven't really even begun yet!"''
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Star Stacker (Super Famicom) (unofficial translation)">
*"''You've done well to make it this far, Kirby!''"
*"''Yes, I shot that star out of the sky!''"
*"''I'm going to keep all the pieces for myself!''"
*"''What did I do to deserve this...''"
*"''Waaaaahh!!''"
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Super Star Ultra">
*''"You mean Kirby is coming here now?!"''
*''"R-right... Well... Here's what we do! Kirby will be OURS!"''
*''"First, test him... Go, my servants!"''
*''"Argh! We'll see how he likes the next!"''
*''"Unthinkable! He beat that one, too?!"''
*''"Cursed pink lump! I can't believe it!"''
*''"Third one's the charm! Get him, Phan Phan!"''
*''"Grr! All right, call the cavalry!"''
*''"Enough, Kirby! Face Twin Fire Lions!"''
*''"Ack! Can't anyone beat that guy?!"''
*''"(...We're done for... Only one option...)"''
*''"...O-OK then. I guess it's your turn."''
*''"...Fine, you can go. You've been spared."''
*''"(...I'm sorry.)"''
*''"(It's time for my secret weapon...)"''
*''"Now you pay, Kirby!"''
*''"You made it here... Now, arm yourself!"''
*''"Our grudge will be settled at last..."''
*''"Meet my powerful secret weapon..."''
*''"The brand-new Dedede Hammer!"''
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s (Extra) Epic Yarn">
*''"Let's go! Hup hup!"''
*''"No slacking off!"''
*''"What is going on here?!"''
*''"You can't be mean to my Waddle Dees!"''
*''"Only I can be mean to my Waddle Dees!"''
*''"Hey, that tickles!"''
*''"OK, that hurts!"''
*''"UNCLE!"''
*"''It seems you've unlocked a new stage, youngster!''" <small>*quote exclusive to ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''</small>
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Battle Royale">
*"''Finally, Kirby! I thought you'd never get here. Ha! You're going to love this. I've got a DELICIOUS treat for you. A truly DELUXE delight. A triple helping of DANGER. Welcome to Dedede's Cake Royale! My tournament here is jam-packed with crazy battles. Try hard enough, and you might just win a battle or two.''"
*"''About time you noticed. All right, let's show 'em our big surprise.''"
*"''You see, this here machine is my fancy new Kirby Printer. It spits out Kirby copies, good as the original. Maybe better.''"
*"''Ha! You've got it. Kirby versus Kirby versus Kirby. Nothing better! There's a deluxe hunk of cake for the winner of this whole thing. Ha! A Kirby tourney with only one cake. Let the mayhem begin!''"
*"''So, Kirby's not doing all that bad, huh? I guess it'd be dull for the crowds if he didn't win once in a while. It's time to put a stop to Kirby though. Fire up my printer!''"
*"''Heh. That should do it. Kirby's losing streak begins NOW.''"
*"''What? They're STILL winning?''"
*"''That pip-squeak! I made up these battles to bust him down to size. So he'd better get to losing already—or else!''"
*"''Well, no one makes a fool of King Dedede... NO ONE! Hey, you! Get to cranking! We've got to turn up the heat.''"
*"''That should do it. Kirby's streak of luck is over and done!''"
*"''What's that? Meta Knight just keeps on winning?!''"
*"''That chump thinks he can do as he pleases in MY tournament?!''"
*"''That's even WORSE. He'd make my Kirby Printer scheme look bad! I guess we'll just have to pulverize the both of them. Crank this thing up to 10! I NEED STRONGER KIRBYS!''"
*"''Don't tell me that pink twerp beat Meta Knight! Argh... I guess it's showtime then.''"
*"''Both of you have gotten WAY too far.''"
*"''But that's the end of that! I'll take you on myself.''"
*"''For your Championship Battle, you'll be fighting ME! You two aren't half bad, but you're no match for me. Or for my HAMMER.''"
*"''NO WAY. NOT YET. You think you won? This is FAR from over.''"
*"''So? Who cares? This is my tournament. I'll do what I want!''"
*"''Now, if you want that cake, Kirby, you'll have to do one last thing. You've got to beat my strongest team...all by yourself! All right, off to the Battle!''"
*"''NO WAY! NOT YET!''"
*"''I worked hard to put Dedede's Cake Royale together. It's my right to crush you in a one-on-one battle! There's NO way you're going to win, Kirby. You think you can take victory from ME?! Ha! I've got something special for you up my sleeve. Follow me, Kirby! Only ONE of us is a real winner. About time you see it's me.''"
*"''Get in the elevator, Kirby. It's behind my throne!''"
</tab>
</tabs>
|}

==Names in other languages==
===King Dedede===
{{Names
|ja=デデデ{{furi|大王|だいおう}}
|jaR=Dedede Daiō
|jaM=Great King Dedede
|es=Rey Dedede
|esM=King Dedede
|frA=Roi Dadidou
|frE=Roi DaDiDou
|frAM=King Dedede
|frEM=King DeDeDe
|nl=Koning Dedede
|nlM=King Dedede
|de=König Dedede (games)<br>King Dedede (anime character)<br>König Nickerchen
|deM=King Dedede<br>-<br>King Snooze
|it=King Dedede
|itM=-
|ko=디디디 대왕
|koR=Dididi Daewang
|koM=Great King Dedede
*대왕 is the Hanja transliteration of 大王
|ru=Король Дидиди
|ruR=Korol' Dididi
|ruM=King Dididi
|zhSimp=帝帝帝大王 (''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' onwards)<br>''Dìdìdì Dàwáng''<br>狄狄大王 (''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'')<br>''Dídí Dàwáng''<br>迪迪迪大王 (''Super Mario Odyssey'' amiibo function)<br>''Dídídí Dàwáng''
|zhTrad=帝帝帝大王 (''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' onwards)<br>''Dìdìdì Dàwáng''<br>狄狄大王 (''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'' detail site)<ref>[https://www.nintendo.com.hk/3ds/kirby_td ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' Chinese detail site]</ref><br>''Dídí Dàwáng''<br>嗲嗲嗲大王 (Anime)<br>''Diādiādiā Dàwáng''
|zhM=Great King Dedede
*The character 帝 also means "king" or "emperor".
|da=Kong Dedede
|daM=King Dedede
|sv=Kung Dedede
|svM=King Dedede
|ptA=Rei Dedede
|ptAM=King Dedede
|pl=Król Dedede<ref>[https://www.nintendo.pl/kirbys-extra-epic-yarn/ Nintendo Polska - ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn'']</ref>
|plM=King Dedede
|th=King Dedede
|thM=-
}}

===Giant King Dedede===
{{names
|ja=ジャイアントデデデ
|jaR=jaianto dedede
|jaM=Giant Dedede
|it=King Dedede Gigante
|itM=Giant King Dedede
|de=Riesen-Dedede
|deM=Giant Dedede
|ko=자이언트 디디디
|koR=jaieonteu dididi
|koM=Giant Dedede
|frA=Roi Dadidou Géant
|frAM=Giant King Dedede
|frE=Roi DaDiDou Géant
|frEM=Giant King Dedede
|es=Rey Dedede gigante
|esM=Giant King Dedede
}}

===King Dedede's Revenge===
{{names
|ja=デデデ{{furi|大王|だいおう}} リベンジ
|jaR=dedede daiō ribenji
|jaM=Great King Dedede Revenge
|it=King Dedede rivincita
|itM=King Dedede Revenge
|es=Rey Dedede vengador
|esM=Avenger King Dedede
|ko=디디디 대왕 리벤지
|koR=dididi daewang ribenji
|koM=Great King Dedede Revenge
|frA=Roi Dadidou Ultra
|frAM=King Dedede Ultra
|frE=Roi DaDiDou Ultra
|frEM=King Dedede Ultra
}}

===Giant King Dedede's Revenge===
{{names
|ja=ジャイアントデデデ リベンジ
|jaR=jaianto dedede ribenji
|jaM=Giant Dedede Revenge
|it=King Dedede Gigante rivincita
|itM=Giant King Dedede Revenge
|ko=자이언트 디디디 리벤지
|koR=jaieonteu dididi ribenji
|koM=Giant Dedede Revenge
|frA=Roi Dadidou Géant Ultra
|frAM=Giant King Dedede Ultra
|frE=Roi DaDiDou Géant Ultra
|frEM=Giant King Dedede Ultra
|es=Rey Dedede gigante vengador
|esM=Avenger Giant King Dedede
}}

===His Royal Nemesis, King Dedede===
{{names
|ja={{furi|宿敵|しゅくてき}}の{{furi|暴君|ぼうくん}} デデデ{{furi|大王|だいおう}}
|jaR=shukuteki no bōkun dedede daiō
|jaM=The Nemesis Tyrant, Great King Dedede
|zhTrad=宿敵之暴君 帝帝帝大王
|zhTradR=sù dí zhī bào jūn dì dì dì dà wáng
|zhSimp=宿敌之暴君 帝帝帝大王
|zhSimpR=sù dí zhī bào jūn dì dì dì dà wáng
|zhM=The Nemesis Tyrant, Great King Dedede
|ko=숙적 폭군 디디디 대왕
|koR=sugjeog poggun dididi daewang
|koM=The Nemesis Tyrant, Great King Dedede
|it=Sua maestà nemica, King Dedede
|itM=His Royal Enemy, King Dedede
|es=Némesis despótica, Rey Dedede
|esM=Despotic nemesis, King Dedede
|de=Königlicher Erzfeind, König Dedede
|deM=Royal Nemesis, King Dedede
|frA=Rival despotique, Roi Dadidou
|frAM=Despotic rival, King Dedede
|frE=Rival despotique, Roi DaDiDou
|frEM=Despoctic rival, King Dedede
}}

{{ref}}
{{Navbox-Characters}}
{{Navbox-KDL}}
{{Navbox-KA/KNiDL}}
{{Navbox-KPL}}
{{Navbox-KDC}}
{{Navbox-KAv}}
{{Navbox-KDL2}}
{{Navbox-KBBa}}
{{Navbox-KSS/KSSU}}
{{Navbox-KSSGB/KSSS}}
{{Navbox-KDL3}}
{{Navbox-K64}}
{{Navbox-KTnT}}
{{Navbox-KAR}}
{{Navbox-KSqS}}
{{Navbox-KEY/KEEY}}
{{Navbox-KRtDL/KRtDLD}}
{{Navbox-KTD}}
{{Navbox-KFD}}
{{Navbox-DDDD}}
{{Navbox-KPR}}
{{Navbox-KBBl}}
{{Navbox-KBR}}
{{Navbox-KSA}}
{{Navbox-KF2}}
{{Navbox-KatFL}}
{{Navbox-SSB}}

[[Category:Playable characters]]
[[Category:Playable characters in Kirby Fighters 2]]
[[Category:Final bosses]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Dream Land]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Pinball Land]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Dream Land 2]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Block Ball]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby Super Star]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby Super Star Ultra]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Dream Land 3]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby: Canvas Curse]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby: Squeak Squad]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby Mass Attack]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Blowout Blast]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby Star Allies]]
[[Category:Opponents in Kirby's Avalanche]]
[[Category:Opponents in Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)]]
[[Category:Mid-Bosses in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Dream Friends]]
[[Category:Creatures that yield Hammer from projectiles]]
[[Category:Creatures that yield Stone from projectiles]]